Raelee Thompson

Sports Hall of Fame Inductee

Shepparton is yet to have a resident selected in the Australian men’s Test Cricket team, however the city has been able to boast that we have provided not only a player for the Australian women’s team but in fact an Australian captain.

Raelee Thompson grew up in Shepparton, was educated at Orrvale Primary School and at Shepparton High School. She was very athletic and played all sports available to her including softball, netball and hockey. When Raelee was in form 4, her High School changed from playing vigoro to girl’s cricket, Raelee was eager to get involved, she became a fast bowler with great success for the rest of her time at the school. 

Sometime after she left school, she moved to Melbourne where she played softball.

It was in 1966 Raelee was introduced to Collingwood women’s cricketer Dawn Ray who invited her to join her club where she became a top player.  In the 1968/69 season she was selected to play for the Victorian 2^nd eleven and the next year Raelee’s fast bowling skills had her elevated to the Victorian team. It was a wonderful experience to travel around the nation to play in cricket carnivals for her state, whilst also arranging her work in the Victorian Police Force around her cricket. She had a fifteen year involvement with the Victorian team and took a hat trick for her state.    

In 1972 Raelee moved up into the international arena when she was selected to play for Australia in a 1 off test when her team won their first test match for 50 years against India in Perth. It was a wonderful start in international cricket and Raelee settled in as a regular Australian player. In the 1978/79 season she was a member of Australia’s world cup winning team in India, defeating England to take the world title. She then played in the world cup winning team in New Zealand in 1981/82. The highlight of her career came in the 84/85 - 5 test series against England. After drawing the first test Raelee was promoted to Captain of the Australian team which lost the 2^nd test in Adelaide, drew the 3^rd in Brisbane and won the last two in Gosford and Bendigo. Raelee’s best bowling figures in the series were 5 wickets for 33 she retired from test cricket after that series. Following her playing days Raelee served as an Australian and Victorian selector and as a delegate to the Australian Women’s Cricket Council. Raelee has been honoured with Life Membership of Cricket Victoria along with the Essendon Maribyrnong Park Ladies Cricket Club. In local cricket the Northern Rivers best female cricketer award is named in Raelee’s honour.

Shepparton can proudly celebrate the wonderful cricket career of Raelee Thompson as our first Australian Test cricketer, and welcomes her into the Shepparton Sports Hall of Fame.